If you met Erin Beatty anywhere but her New York garment district showroom, you might not guess that she is in the fashion industry. Sure, she was dressed in an artsy way when we caught up with her during Fashion Week. She wore a khaki button-front shirtdress embroidered with the heads of some adorable dogs, little chains dangling from their little necks more like jewelry than collars. But she didn’t appear to be wearing makeup on a Sunday afternoon and she talked in a thoughtful way about clothing. Not fawning over it, but noting what makes it special. Knits woven in Peru. Embroidery inspired by Russia. Pinstripes that have an androgynous quality.

The 34-year-old creative director of the hot label Suno brings something different to the cutting table. Which is why she and her partner, Max Osterweis, snagged the Swarovski Womenswear Award at the 2013 Council of Fashion Designers of America ceremony earlier this week.

Suno, named for Max’s mother (he’s half-Korean, half-German), isn’t the flashy, sparkly kind of line that’s going to be worn by socialites to big charity parties. It’s more likely to show up at an art opening, an about-to-be-discovered restaurant. Or on a young actress like Hailee Steinfeld, who wore a cropped tank and full skirted Suno design to the CFDA Awards.

For Beatty, clothing should be interesting and have something about it that is special. It needs to be made ethically, with those who create the textiles or apply the beading compensated fairly. Beatty also hopes the woman who wears Suno is intelligent and engaged with the world, not just flaunting a label or her figure. Those things alone set the brand apart from many in the industry.